Definition of "rhodopsin" [rho•dop•sin]

• The pigment sensitive to red light in the retinal rods of the eyes, consisting of opsin and retinene. Also called visual purple. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Another protein is rhodopsin, which is found in cells that make up the retina of the eye."
• "The scientists were able to see previously unobserved changes in the structure of rhodopsin, which is a model for the ubiquitous G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), heptahelical, transmembrane receptors found in eukaryotic cells."
• "Saranak J, Patel N, Zarilli G, Okabe M, et al. (1984) A rhodopsin is the functional photoreceptor for phototaxis in the unicellular eukaryote"